WANTED: West Virginia trophy fish and big bucks for display

ROANOKE, W.Va. - If you have a legally harvested and mounted West Virginia big buck trophy, or if you have a trophy fish caught from West Virginia waters, it’s wanted for the Big Buck/Trophy Fish Display at West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day, Sept. 26-27, 2015, at Stonewall Resort State Park near Weston in Lewis County.

The West Virginia Wildlife Federation, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) and Toyota are seeking hunters who own trophy white-tailed bucks that were legally taken in West Virginia with either bow or gun and have a Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett score of 140 or greater. They are also seeking fish that qualified for a trophy fish citation under the WVDNR guidelines.

“Each year the West Virginia Wildlife Federation and the DNR showcase these animals that are legally caught and legally harvested at the National Hunting and Fishing Day event,” said display organizers James Walker and Rob Silvester, DNR wildlife biologists. “The display is a tremendous draw to West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day, attracting thousands of visitors annually.”

Participation for trophy bucks will be limited to the first 30 qualifying trophy entries received. As an incentive for participation, hunters who display their trophy deer at the two-day event will be entered into an exclusive drawing for several valuable prizes.

Participation for trophy fish will be limited to 25 qualifying entries to be determined by a selection committee. No more than five entries of any species will be accepted. As an incentive for participation, each angler who displays his or her trophy fish mount at the two-day event will be eligible to win one of five $100 gift certificates. Prizes will be picked randomly.

Interested hunters and anglers who have qualifying head, antler mounts and qualifying fish mounts should contact James Walker for fish or Rob Silvester for bucks at 304-924-6211 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays or email James.A.Walker@wv.gov or Rob.A.Silvester@wv.gov for additional information.